Alexander Zverev over Taylor Fritz
They have played each other nine times, which is a lot, and the German has won it five times, and he lost four titles. Even? I would say, yet. This year, Zverev beat him in Rome, on the clay, and then at Wimbledon, Fritz took him down in five, exhausted, sets. They have been playing a lot time, in the matches, and they first went each other, over eight years ago. So for sure, they know each other well.
Both can like to rally and try to split with their forehand and backhands, crosscourt, or down the line. They can strike on the return in the second serve. They can also run to the net, bend, and touch it. It is a toss-up, and while Zverev almost won the 2020 US Open, he slipped up in the fifth set in the tiebreaker against Dominic Thiem. Zverev must think he can go away, but he has to prove it. However, he will edge against Fritz and take it in four, extended sets.
Emma Navarro over Paula Badosa
The former NCAA champion Navarro stood up, and in the third set, she nailed it very deep. She beat the 2023 Grand Slam winner, Coco Gauff, and her shivers went away. She can nail the ball with both sides, and while she still has more work to do this year, she has been much more consistent.
Badosa has also been much more consistent, and she also likes to rally. Yes, there are times when she doesn’t hit it deep, yet she can also go for it with her strong backhand.
These have played together once, and Badosa took it in Rome in three difficult sets. The Spaniard can hustle and change it up, but this time, Navarro will out-hit her on the hardcourts, and she can drive it, forehand versus forehand. The American might be super nervous, but this time, early in the day, she will breathe and win it in three feral sets.
Qinwen Zheng over Aryna Sabalenka
Somehow, Zheng won it on Sunday/Monday, at beyond 2 am, which was a record. But still, her forehand, her backhand and her first serve are so flat, hard, and gigantic. Yes, the Chinese player can go off, but in reality, after she hits a bad shot, she can still walk over and start again. She did win the Olympics a month ago, so she is flying high.
However, to beat the 2024 Aussie champion Sabalenka will be very difficult. Belarus is finally playing terrifically, as last month, her body was so-so, so she wasn’t playing wonderfully. But now, she is locked in, and the No. 2 won Cincinnati a few weeks ago. She is one of her biggest hitters, out there. Both of these two will go for it early, and try to put it away. To win the match, they have to use their first serves and crush it when she returns. Zheng is still pretty young, but she is moving up words. Zheng will win it, in two tiebreakers.
Frances Tiafoe over Grigor Dimitrov
The Bulgarian Dimitrov can look great, and then he can look slow on the court. Yes, when he is on, he can do almost everything, but the reason why he has not won a Slam was because his one-handed backhand is phenomenal, but it can also be too short.
The American Tiafoe can also look terrific, but the same thing because, in 2024, he lost a lot all over the place. Now he is playing much better, but how he got there again is hard to tell.
Dimitrov beat Tiafoe three times and only once. He is older and has more experience, yet Tiafoe loves playing in front of the crowds in New York, and he will try to be super consistent. There will be some tremendous rallies, side to side, and very deep at night. Tiafoe will seize it in five sets.